WOMB - Purity Ring: Review
are a Canadian synth pop duo consisting of Megan James on vocals and Corin Roddick's instrumentals. The pair released a critically acclaimed debut record in 2012, and it has been five years since we last heard from the band and they kicked off this era with three singles and an interactive puzzle on their website.
Review By Lavender:
I quite enjoy Purity Ring's debut album even to this day, but since then there has been a bit of a disconnect. Purity Ring's second record another eternity came out three years later and myself as well as a lot of other people didn't connect to it in the same way. Despite the fact that there wasn't a huge sonic change the songwriting was much more vapid and the sounds were so washed out that it was hard to make light of anything specific throughout the record. Here five years later the bands signature sound has gotten a little bit more refreshing but ultimately falls into the same shortcomings.
The two big tracks released in the lead up to the album were peacefall and stardew that represent the polar opposite of tracks on the album. peacefall is a super boring track that I have no idea how it ended up being a single. The tracks core refrain is super boring and has almost nothing of substance beyond it, which makes it a super weak moment on the record. sinew is another track that doesn't do much for me it's a booming nighttime synth pop track with multi-layered percussion. There are lots of pretty sounds in the song but outside from a moment or two on the hook I'm not really sure the song is doing much of anything for me. silkspun is a track that comes towards the very end of the record and I think that is what makes it a kind of dull moment. There are just so many already boring songs that come before this with the almost exact same sound that listening to the record in order turns this song into a slog.
We will get to the good songs in a second, but one of the defining qualities of the record is making shimmering synths and loud booming percussion sound boring. rubyinsides is the opening track that sounds like a soft EDM remix of an early Grimes track. I don't necessarily love it or hate it but there are some genuinely sweet moments washed out in the mix. pink lightning was the song that the band had teased on their website and while it is pleasant on the ears there is very little depth or detail to the song and I think it ultimately falls short. Vehemence is the most heavily inspired by contemporary pop music but once again it is nothing more than its flashy synth sounds.
The best tracks on the record are the ones that push a little bit beyond the core sound and have good features that stand out. i like the devil is a darker approach to the very bright synth pop laced across the record and while the idea is kind of brief it is one of the most interesting sound palettes across the album. femia has some of the clearest vocals we get anywhere on the record and I think the song is much better for it. They come off beautifully and help the track come off with its ethereal airy feeling. The strongest point on the album is its closing moments starting with alamanac. The song is a decent break from the routine being much more of a ballas type song with a glitchy electronic soundscape. The song still gets to a very loud and bright point but it takes ts time building up to a rewarding finish. Finally the closing track and other single stardew is one of my favorites of the bunch. Instrumentally it almost has a loud quiet loud dynamic with the verse wrapped in percussion and leading up to an explosion of synths on the hook. The track is still pretty mellow from a songwriting perspective but the instrumental helps a lot.
WOMB isn't quite the return to form I was hoping after a long gap between Purity Ring releases. Even though their die hard fanbase seems to be as active as ever before the lack of attention being paid to this record strikes me as people finally disconnecting with their sound. The record is pretty much in line with their last album with some beautiful highlights instrumentally, but an ultimate lack of songwriting style that leads to the record being a slog. If synth pop is your game and you have an appreciation for some of the more explosive synth timbres this is a record you may want to check out, but no promises it will stick with you. 5/10
